Water-power device



- J. R. BRADsHAw WATER POWER DEVICE Filed Fein; 1. 1922 y 2 sheets-sneet'x vdanesi?.lifi'i'zaluau Feb. 12, 1924. r 1,483,505 f J. R'. BRADsHAw WATER PowER DEVICE Filed Feba 1 1922 L2 sheets-sheet 2 @2mes/23104511@ Patented Feb.. l2, 1924.

JAMES R. IBRADSHAW, 0F MANCHESTER, TENNESSEE.

waarna-POWER nnvicn.

Application led February 1, 1922. Serial No. 533,331.

To all whom it .may concer/n.:

Be it known that JAMnsR. BRAnsHAW, a citizen of the United States, residing at Manchester, in the county of Coifee'and State of Tennessee, has invented certain new and useful Improvements in Water- PowerDevices, of which the following is a specification. y

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in water power devices, the primary object of the invention beingrto provide a device which will ob-tain the maximum power from a water-fall.

lAnother important object of the invention is to provide a water power device actuated by the weight and force of a water-fall, the arrangement of the power device being such as to retain the same under the influence of a predetermined amount of the water-fall s0 as to obtain the maximum power therefrom.

Another object of the invention is to pro-Y the buckets of the endless belt whereby waterV overflowing from one bucket will be directed intothe next lowest bucket. Y

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent during' the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of the description and whereinV like:

numerals are employed lto designate like Vparts throughout the several views:

Figure 1 is a verticalsection through the power device. Y

Fig. 2 is a topv plan of the water power device. 1

Y.Figure 3 is a perspective view cfa bucket. Figure 4 is an elevation of a portion of a dam used in one embodiment of tion.

Figure 5 isan elevation of the-'opposite side thereof. y f

Figure 6 is a fragmentary side elevation of a detail of theinvention.

Figure 7 is a sideelevationofa bucket and a portion of the'web, and rA A Figure 8 is a fragmentary longitudinal section thereof. Y q

In the drawings, wherein for the purpose of illustration is'shown the preferred embodiment of my invention, the numeral 7 `designates a dam created by a head wall 8 and it is to be yunderstood that one or more discharge openings 9 may be provided therein, adjacent the top thereof,so that a plu-` rality of power devices may be associated with the head wall. However, as all of the discharge openings and power devices are the same in construction, a description of one will suliice for all. V

In order that the flow of water through the discharge openings 9 may be controlled at will,'a vertically slidable gate 10 is associatedwith each opening and is mounted in a guide 11, attached to the inner face of the head wall 8. This gate 10 may be controlled by any medium desired, but preferably by means of a shaft, not shown, extending across the dam above the head wall. This shaft winds andunwinds the chain 12, the lower end of which is secured t-o the upper end of the gate 10. When a plurality ofy gates are associated with' the head wall, it

.will be seen that by this construction all of them may be controlled simultaneously.

A pairof water chutes are associated with each discharge opening 9 in the head wall and are fastened therein. The uppermost chute 13 is disposed in an approximately horizontal position as in the lower chute 14, buty theoutlet end yof the latter is inclined slightly downwardly, as clearly shownl in Figure 1. y chutes are braced by interposing a lbrace between them, as clearly seen.

The power` deviee, indicated in its enemyl by the numeral 15 issupported lbetween a pair of walls 16, projecting laterally from the outer face ofthe head wall 8, as clearly seen in'Figures 1 and 2.l ThispowerV device preferably consists of an endless web 16', which is trained over upper and lower pairs of sprockets 17 and 18,'the lower pair being smaller and having their Vaxle arranged` closer to the head wall than the shaft carrying the upper pair of sprockets,

so that the run of t-he web adjacent the head wall will be arranged 'perpendicular and the other run will incline upwardly andeutwardly of'said wall.` Thefupper pairv of sprockets 17 are spaced .and keyed to a shaft 18' which is journalled. ina pair of bearing boxes 19, mounted on the top of the side walls 16. A pulley wheel 20 is The outlet ends of these two.-

likewise keyed to the shaft, whereby power created by the power device may be transmitted to other machinery. The lower pair of sprockets 18' are likewise keyed to a lower, transverse shaft 22, opposite ends of which are mounted in boxes 22 which are slidably mounted in vertical, elongated. slots 23 provided in the side walls 16. The boxes 22 are normally arranged inthe upper ends of the slots and it'will therefore be seen that the uppermost shaft 18 supports the entire weight of the power device.

At this point, it will be well to set forth that il do not desire to`limit the applicationv of the power device to dams, since obviouslyv it may be applied to natural waterfalls and the endless web 16 may be made as `long as the water-fall is high, so that one run of the web may be disposed the full length of the water-'talk whereby this run of the web will be under the influence of the water-tall continuously. o

The endless web 16 in the present instance comprises a pair of endless linked chains, the links of the pair oit rchains being` pivotally connected by transversely arranged rods 25. rlhe ends of these rods are reduced as seen in Fig. 8 and are threaded to extend through the links of the chains to connect the same. Nuts are screwed upon the reduced ends of the rods to prevent displacement ot the links.

plurality of buckets or containers 26 are adapted to be associated with the endless web 'in a manner that their mouths will be disposed uppermost to receive water along one runof theweb and the mouths ot the buckets will open downwardly along the otherfrun of theweb for discharging water therefrom. Each receptacle consists, generally rot a hollow cylindricalmember, the end walls of which are each provided with a pair of apertures, whereby the reduced ends of the rods 25 of the web may extend therethrough for mounting thereceptacle upon the web. A portion of each hollowr cylindrical receptacle is removed as at 2?, to provide the same with a mouth. and the end walls or each receptacle are extended, as at 28, to provide vthe receptacle with :i billor abutment. The body portion of the receptacle adjacent these extensions of theside `wall is also extended, as at 29,

to rest upon-and be fastened to the inner edges of the end walls 28. The purpose of this particular construction of the buckets is to lprovide for the stability of the buckets along` the perpendicular run of the Web, which is disposed adjacent the discharge chutes oit the head wall. It will be seen that the buckets on the inner run ofthe web will be disposed vwith their mouths uppermost" and with their end walls 28 in contact with V'the receptacle arranged thereab'ove yto prevent the inowing water from the chutes from causing the buckets to tilt away from the chutes.

The front wall of each bucket slightly below the mouth thereof is provided with an overflow attachment in the form 'of a deiiectorplate 30 curved in the same direction as thek front wall of the bucket and spaced therefrom so that any overliow from one bucket will be directed into the mouth oit' the next lower bucket.A lWith this arrangement it will be seen that when all bucketsr are empty and it is desired to start thev device, water is permitted to enter the bucket adjacent the chutes 13 and 14. When this bucket has been v)filled the water will overllow and be directed by the overflow attachment of the bucket into the next lowest bucket and so on down the run o'f the tacles so that all of the water discharging` therefrom will be directed into the adjacent receptacle and thence to the buckets thereunder as explainedabove. As all of the buckets on the outer run of the web are caused to empty by the inclined position of ther outer run, it will be seen that the web will be caused to move in a counter clockwise direction. As the web begins to move, it will be seen that the buckets will be successively brought into a position to receive'water vfrom the discharge chutes 13 and 14 and after the power device has been put into operation for a limited time, and more and more weight is added to the inner run oiC the web by the buckets becoming full of water, it will be obvious that the web will obtain considerable speed and transmit the power derived from the water tothe pulley wheel 20 from where the power may be conveyed to any suitable machinery.

It will be noted that the lowermost discharge chute 14 is directed downwardly, so as to discharge water directly into the bottom` of each receptacle, while the uppermost discharge chute 13, which is arranged in a horizontal position, will direct water therefrom to the extended portion 29 of the receptacle to direct such a force thereon as to retain the same in contact with the receptacle above. The buckets each being con-n nected to the web by means of a pair of rods 25, it will be seen that as soon as the rods of any one bucket reach either sprocket wheel, thek receptacle mounted thereon will begin to tilt and the buckets passing around the lower sprocket wheel i8 will be caused to discharge water therefrom, while those coming up over the sprockets 17 will be caused to assume position whereby their mouths will be disposed uppermost and in a position to receive the water discharging from the chutes 13 and 14.

rlhe foregoing description and the accompanying drawings have reference to the preferred or approved embodiment of my invention. lt is to be understood however, that such changes may be made in construction and arrangement of parts, materials, dimensions, etc., as may prove expedient and fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described and illustrated my invention, what lf now claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A water power device comprisingan endless web, buckets associated therewith, each bucket consisting of a hollow cylindrical member having a portion of its curved wall removed to form a throat or inlet opening and each cylindrical member being provided with an abutment adjacent said inlet opening to engage an adjacent bucket for preventing the iirst named bucket being tilted by water entering the same.

2. A water power device comprising an endless web, a plurality Vof buckets attached thereto, each bucket comprising a hollow cylindrical member arranged in close proximity to the other buckets on the web, each cylindrical member having a water inlet opening and a portion of said member, extended to form a back for said opening and an abutment for engagement with the bucket above.

the buckets to retain them in engagement with one another.

4. A water power device comprising in combination an endless web, a plurality of buckets associated therewith, each bucket consisting of a hollow cylindrical member having an vopening in its side to form a water inlet opening, an extension provided on each cylindrical member and adapted to abut with the bucket above at'intervals; of a source of water supply including a pair of chutes, onerof said chutes being arranged horizontally to discharge water against said extensions of the buckets to retain the same in engagement with the bucket above, and the other chute being inclined downwardly to discharge water onto the bottom of said buckets.

ln testimony whereof I aix my signature 70 in presence of two witnesses.

lJAMES R. BRADSHAW.

Witnesses:

J. C. GREEN, P. H. MCBRIDE. 

